never heard of it. But I'd bet you'll find lots of folks at www.snowboard.com who are going (though you're probably already part of the community).

Northstar?

Now for the clip:

I was struggling for ages to build a decent spring-fed clip (a la Ompa's) but I couldn't find a system that worked reliably (the crappy spring I made from old SM3K air restrictors) kept jamming.

So for now, I'm settling for the gravity-fed (non-removable but reloadable) clip.

This one's made from an old plastic container that used to house my snowboard wax. I thought it would be useful because the lid slides on these little tracks:


The container is a little wide (for the length of my darts) so I filled some of this space by gluing halves of 1/2" CPVC tubing to either side. Also because of the dimensions, I had to add a rectangular piece of plastic near the bottom of the container that funnels the darts into the breech:



The container has some space to accommodate the barrel drilled out of the bottom - I hotglued the container to the barrel (mostly to the orange barrel stub of course; hotglue doesn't really stick to brass). Since the original concept was to use a clip-fed system, the gravity-fed clip can't be positioned perfectly upright (perpendicular to the floor) but rather at an angle.


It works fine though, so long as the weight of a section of CPVC used as a weight (pushing the darts downwards) stays in place. By some stroke of luck, the CPVC is just big enough to not fit all the way down the "funnel" so it does not interfere with the chambering of the last dart.

The clip holds 7 shots (plus one in the pipe):


The clip occasionally fails to chamber a dart (fires a blank) but simply re-cocking the blaster fixes that. Reloading the clip is not too difficult (well, at least while you're not moving) because the clip has a sliding door. Since the clip is attached to the orange barrel stub, the whole thing (with the brass breech) can rotate, though obviously when firing, the clip should be upright as possible.

I'm still trying to figure out a good spring-fed clip system (removable) but for now I guess this will have to do.


P.S. I fought the temptation to give it a name (like the "Bug Bad Bow") - to everyone's relief, I'm sure.

First of all, I've read on several occasions that the old (dark blue and orange) Nite Finder has a better spring than the newer ones, though the difference isn't supposed to be obvious just from looking at it visually (mentioned here)

I've also read a few comments by members saying that the Disk Shot is "basically the old (dark blue and orange) Nite Finder" yet, in Renegade's mod, he shows pics of the spring for the Disk Shot compared with the 'new' NF and they look nothing alike. Given that the old and new NF supposedly look similar, then (via the transitive property) obviously the Disk Shot and old NF springs should look pretty different too.

I can only conclude that the comments regarding Disk Shot = old NF are referring to performance (despite apparently different springs) but just judging from the tension felt when cocking and firing both blasters, I got the impression that the old NF still packs more punch. As such, I decided to transplant the apparently more powerful guts of the old NF into the shell of the Disk Shot, which I like more than the old NF.

Regardless, for the sake of others who might be curious, I decided to post some pics comparing the assembly of my old (modded) NF and a recently acquired (stock) DS. As it turns out, the whole cocking handle (plus spring) can be swapped, with only a few differences (outlined below). The successful transplant of the old NF cocking handle and spring into the Disk Shot (and vice versa) corroborates Renegade's earlier assertion that the plunger assembly is nearly identical.


Here are pics of:

them side by side




the plunger tubes are practically the same length and ID (judging from the success of the transplant); old NF above, DS below.





the springs (old NF above, DS below). Like Renegade said, the cocking handle is a little longer in the DS




Note that the catch/trigger mechanisms are slightly different leading to some minor incompatibilities; my upgraded Disk Shot (with NF cocking handle) takes a bit of a longer trigger pull to discharge (if you like a hair-trigger, this is less than ideal) - notice the gap between catch and trigger:



Conversely, the old NF (with DS guts) is a bit easier to pull



Just for starters, I did a basic barrel mod (17/32" brass) but will be looking into some integration ideas in the future. Oh yeah, I also added a second O-ring to the plunger head (of the Disk Shot only).




Some other basic differences I noticed: the quality of screws has really slipped in the newer blaster (Disk Shot). The screws are smaller and strip alot easier than the ones for the old NF. Even the plastic tabs that anchor the plunger tube to the shell of the stock DS seem pretty weak - the rear one was already cracking when I opened it up. These factors discouraged me from making a more robust/objective comparison between the two springs; the ideal way to do this would be to compare the ranges of the DS (modded or otherwise) with the stock cocking handle/spring versus with the NF assembly--but I was worried that the tabs would snap off (or I'd strip the screws) after repeated fooling. Also, if you noticed in the pics of the trigger/catch mechanism, the Disk Shot's trigger is much flimsier looking than the old NF's.


Anyhoo, there it is - now if anyone had all three (old NF, new NF and the DS), it would be great to see the differences and, ideally, see some actual quantification of these differences that people often claim.

___EDIT: interpretation for those still unclear (e.g. Sixfivetwo) -> clearly, the springs of the old NF and the DS don't look alike. Whether they perform the same remains to be tested - but I'm betting that the old NF still beats the DS. Unfortunately, I don't have a new NF so I can't comment on performance here, but Renegade's write-up (in the mod directory and referenced in earlier in the text) suggests that the DS is better than the new NF. So in my mind:
oldNF > DS > newNF

BUT it would be best if someone who has ALL THREE actually tested this by measuring ranges using each spring placed in the same stock blaster (or at least with the same barrel mod)

I've been struggling with a satisfactory clip system for my version of the Bacon Bow. My original clip was gravity-fed but I wanted something spring-fed as I figure, the jiggling around of running/ducking/jumping would cause some complications for a gravity-fed clip (especially when half-empty).

I followed the basics of Ompa's clip mod but I also wanted to remedy the whole issue of having to keep a head count of darts to prevent the spring/dart advancing mechanism from getting accidentally chambered. Furthermore, the whole point of a clip-system for me was to have one that I could easily change/reload even on the run. That means having a mechanism that limits the advance of darts so the darts don't pop out by themselves.

Well, here's my attempt:


my darts are about 1.5" long so the cassette case option wasn't gonna do it for me. I found some of these boxes that hold photo slides (think vacation slides before PowerPoint was invented) in my office desk. You have to dremel/cut out a divider in it. Then cut out one (short) wall and glue the lid closed.
(this one's already been messed with)


then I made a spring out of two old air-restrictors (SM3K - I think), some craft foam (black) and a piece of CPVC for the barrel advancing (platform-like) thing


Here's a cross-section of that advancing thingy (hotglue was used to attach the spring to it):


Then I constructed my "dart-limiting" mechanism. I took some 5/8" PETG (I'm actually not sure if this is really PETG, its the stuff for home aquarium use - to extend suction tubes; its got a little bit of flex). I cut out a small section on the side destined to be the top (in RED marker) - keep this piece for later (for making the 'guide' -see below. This has to be narrower than the diameter of the darts so darts don't pop through it. Then I cout out a bit from the other side destined to be the bottom (in BLUE marker). The cut out has to be large enough to allow darts through, while still leaving enough to glue to the rectangular clip "box".



I found these 1/2" straps for piping at the hardware store:


Then I glued both the "limiter" and a strap to the box. It might be easier if you also install the spring beforehand - but it didn't matter for me.

EDIT: crap - I should have told you there was more coming. "Follower" huh? Thanks, I'll remember that.


then I added the "guide" that allows the clip to slide intor the proper position- just the scrap PETG:


Again, this was for my BBBB so.... the actual guide - I glued it to the brass/orange barrel stub junction. Its lined up diametrically opposite from where the breech opening is:


and some re-inforcement:



As you can see, the darts stay put until you install the clip:


The clip is loaded in front of the breech (upper pic) - the PETG flexes enough to allow it to be pressed into place. The black "strap" clips on easily (it fits looser than the PETG but it still offers the right support). Then I slide the clip back over the breech (lower pic). The guide makes sure its in the right spot.


Here's the final product (loaded up):



Of course, the exact details of this setup are specific to this particular blaster but the idea behind it could be adapted to most breech systems. A plus with the CPVC advancing thing is that it is just the right diameter to fit in the breech (meaning it is pushing darts up until the very end) but not to allow the breech to clse over it. It effectively prevents me from re-cocking when I'm out of ammo - so the blaster tells me when I'm out. Another bonus, is that because I didn't glue the original barrel stub to the gun casing, it can still rotate around. Of course, being spring-fed, it works in any position. Also means that if my clip(s) are empty, I just pull off the clip, rotate the breech facing upwards and I can still access the breech for loading single darts manually (whcih I couldn't do with my old clip).

I still hate the spring that's in there but I'll get around to replacing it. Otherwise, though the clip works reasonably well.


Wel, not the Grand Unified Theory of Everything but I hope its useful to someone else.

My goal was to improve the range of the Rapid Fire Rifle without losing the clip-loading feature. What I did was to integrate the air tank system of the Airtech2000 into the RFR.

the original RFR guts looked like this (note: I sawed off the barrel previously)


I hooked up the new airtank where the old spring and plunger used to be (ignore the trigger/valve mechanism on the left of the red goo-meter - I ended up changing that; see the next pic)


To fit the airtank in. I had to do some considerable hacking/sanding of the existing plunger/spring frame. I seriously need to invest in a Dremel kit.


On the other half of the rifle chassis, I drilled a hole to allow the "liquitron" goo meter protrude. Yeah I kept the goo, partly cause I was too lazy to reroute the airlines and partly for effect. I also drilled a hole for the airhose (between aritank and pump).


I also cut down the white plastic arm (that connected the lever to the spring) so as not to interfere with the airtank. To allow the shell-ejecting mechanism to work, I glued a small piece of plastic to extend the orange ejection trigger - this allows the sawed down lever arm to trip the ejection trigger. Thus, the lever/clip feeding system works as usual. (sorry - no pic)

After experimenting on a few different valve-trigger mechanisms, I settled on a low tech but reliable solution - steel wire (for hanging picture frames). I secure this to the end of the valve pin. Notice there's also an orange piece (scrap from amodded NF) glued to the airtank to support it against the old spring frame.


I drilled a hole in the existing RFR finger trigger to secure the other end of the wire


After ALOT of trial and error and troubleshooting, I put it back together. Assembled it looks like this.


I still haven't mounted the pump. I'll probably keep it (horizontally) on the right side of the blaster so I can cock the lever and pump with the same hand. I'll probably also change the pump handle.

Cosmetically the fit wasn't perfect as even after cutting out some space for the protruding airline, the airtank causes a bit of a bulge in the chassis and from above you can see a gap (even when the screws are tightened) - oh well.


Now for ranges:
After about 3 1/2 full pumps, it gets about 45-50 feet (stock darts). That's only about 10 feet more than the stock(springer) version with the same dart/shell. I figure, I can get even better range with an extra pump or two (I plugged the over-pressure release valve) but I'm a still little of a wuss when it comes to pumping the gun. After spending 2 days modding this thing, I didn't want to immediately bust the airtank.

In any case, the integration was moderately successful, it gets slightly better range than the stock RFR and is considerably quieter. It hasn't lost its clip-loading capability though its RoF is obviously a little lower because of the pumping. When I get around to it, I'll work on the pump handle and give it a new paintjob.

Again, I'm a nerf noob and this is my first attempt at an integration but I hope it gives you guys some ideas (maybe of what not to do ) for your own mods.

Does anyone know anything about the Triple Mech Blaster or the Rapid Fire Rifle by Buzz Bee? I found the Triple Mech Blaster, but no real helpful info (select ammo type or all at once); Can't find the Rapid Fire Rifle at all.

sorry, I don't know anything about the Triple Mech but as for the RFR, I recently posted some pics of the internals (sorry, no mod) in the modifications forum. And as pointed out by Jakethesnake, there's some more talk about this blaster on NHQ. Er- I'm assuming you were asking for info on the RFR - it wasn't totally clear whether you just wanted to know where to buy them.

in response to a request by another member, here are some pics of a turret I modded from the Ertl Rapid Fire FS 1100 (blow gun). Sorry, the pics were taken when most of it was already asembled.

this is what the original looked like:

ertl fs1100

it has a 5 shot manual turret for megas.


I chopped down the petg chambers to accommodate some buzz bee shells.


I removed the pegs and drilled larger holes in the back of each of the orange shells.


Some electrical tape and hotglue connected the existing PETG, shells and circular turret disc.


I had cut down the front portion of the turret frame a bit because the new chambers (for micros) are shorter than the original (for megas). The central axle (around which the turret rotates) was cut down a bit too - the tip is the screw-in point for the back half.


Here's the back half of the turret frame. Notice I added a custom cut piece of foam sheet (the black stuff) in an attempt to make a tighter seal. I also added some lubricant directly on the foam sheet.


Assembled, it looks like this.


I mounted it as a removable rig (using cpvc coupler) on my max shot.


I have to admit its range isn't as good as single barreled (with buzz bee shell barrel) - only about 35 feet (stock micros). Furthermore, even though the turret has built in notches to align the chamber with the barrel/plunger, proper alignment (on the modded version) isn't as obvious (doesn't click) as in let's say an AT2k so the RoF doesn't really increase substantially from muzzle-loading the single barrel. So why didn't I just use the turret At2k or my Lanard Speed Loader? I don't really know but I'd like to think this was a semi-successful venture. In any case, the turret was originally built for megas and I think their large gauge means it would be pretty easy to nest your own chamber materials inside (e.g. brass/pvc etc.) to allow it to shoot micros without even doing any cutting to the turret - just use e-tape.

First of all, this is going to seem like a big time yawner following Carrtoon's air-pressured clip system for the 3B but I had already started working on this a couple of weeks ago. So bear with me.

Second, this is only a slight modification of the original Bacon Bow


First the barrel: I used several pieces of 3 different sizes of brass to achieve the nesting/breech setup.

- Piece #1: I cut out the rectangular breech from approx 4" of 1/2" brass. This was permanently gooped to the original (orange) barrel stub.
- Piece #2: I also glued a 17/32" stub directly to the front disk of the plunger tube (after drilling out the centre, of course).
- Piece #3: An even shorter piece of 9/16" brass was nested over ths stub to form a nice solid series of nested brass to support Piece #1.

you can see Piece #2 at the base of the breech in Piece #1 (Piece #3 is in there but not visible):


- A fourth piece was about 9 inches of 9/16 tubing which acted as the barrel. This barrel slides back when the spring/plunger head is pulled back/cocked.


Unlike Piss Bacon's and Lukeinator's version though, I decided to take advantage of the existing (sliding) guide rod located above the plunger (below and forward of the built-in "scope").



I drilled out a hole at the front of the cavity that accommodated the sliding rod and added a length of PETG to extend the guide rod anteriorly (forward). I used some Crazy Glue and hotglue with a piece of the air restrictor from a NiteFinder to connect the PETG to the rod. Sorry, I only took AFTER pics. You can see some of this from above the rod cavity (the front "sight" was hacked off).

here's a view from above the cavity (notice you can see the PETG dimensions on the sticker and part of the NF air restrictor)


This PETG is the "arm" that moves the brass barrel backwards to close the breech. The PETG and barrel were linked using a a copper T coupler, some hose clamps and a piece of picture frame hanging material (metal) bent into a loop (looks a bit like the Omega in the greek alphabet). Oh yeah and some glue and a cable tie to secure the union of the coupler and the bent metal.


Here's the assembled blaster (breech closed):



(more in sec.....)

This will be less than mindblowing. Let's face it, it doesn't take a rocket (missile? ) scientist to come up with this mod. I'm sure this has been done before but it appears that there aren't even pics of modded missilestorms around (at least on their own), let alone a writeup. Perhaps this will end up in the "vintage" section of the mod directory.... the copyright date imprinted on the turret says 1993! This thing is older than probably half of the members on this forum. Curiously, it also says that it was manufactured by Kenner (a division of Tonka toys) - I didn't even realize NERF wasn't always owned by Hasbro.


I picked up this blaster from my local thrift shop ($0.99) and other than a broken missile rod/peg, it worked (no missiles included).



I figured I'd take it home and have some fun. Normally, I'd open it up right away but it uses these peculiar screws with star-shaped (hexalobular?) recesses - for which I don't own a screwdriver. So this write-up really just documents a simple "external" treatment. If can open it up in the future, I'll add some pics and possibly some internal (e.g. airseal) mods.

But modding the barrels is easy enough - first, I hacked off the rods down the nubs on the turret.




Then I cut some CPVC into four 3" sections. I use 2" darts for my CPVC barrels but ofcourse you can use whatever lengths you like. The extra clearance was to accommodate the turret nubs (about 3/4") over which the barrels fit. A small bit (~3") of e-tape around each nub and the CPVC barrels fit tightly. Add some hotglue to secure the connections. And voila:




the ranges are not spectacular (probably not more than 40') and very variable. Since this is a trigger-less blaster (you pull back the blue handle to rotate the turret and then push forward rapidly to fire), the range depends on how hard/fast you push. Truth be told, I don't get very good results with my CPVC/dart setup - if I get around to picking up more brass, I'm going to replace the barrels.

I also bought this with other plans in mind (e.g. integrating the turret and cocking mechanism with a powerful spring gun) - so this may well be a temporary solution.

Anyhoo - enjoy!

I've been playing around with different ideas for adding brass barrel extensions for my blasters. I've used the coupler (nesting 9/16 over a 17/32 stub) method but I find that its a little slow and the 9/16 barrels sometimes fly off. I also don't like carrying a bunch of extra barrels around.

I came up with a method for adding a little more barrel to my muzzle-loading blasters without slowing reload times. A 9/16 piece which retracts (via a spring) when loading and automatically slides forward when firing.

I added this to an SM750 I recently found at a local thrift shop:




I added some e-tape around the cpvc for a tight fit.




The spring was an air restrictor from an SM3K (I think)


I had to sand out some of the inner diameter of the orange ring in the blaster chassis.



to be continued (image limits)...

I also realized that the plastic tube for my used lip-balm (actually Burt's Bees - not Chap Stick) is also a good tight fit for my micros. Furthermore, the cap fit nicely over a 9/16 brass tube. This means that when the tube is "capped", the barrel extension clicks into place and no more barrel extensions flying/sliding off.





the nice thing is that the yellow tube has a hole in the base that is of narrower diameter (so that the darts cannot be "sucked" backwards towards the plunger - though the tight fit would probably prevent it anyway). Another plus, is that the tube fits perfectly into a 1/2" CPVC coupler. It stays in place even without glue (I did anyway).




This barrel is currently being used on my MaxShot (below) and my ERTL FS1010 (not shown).



Again, no official range testing but I think it suffices to say that it works well. The only thing is that the brass can't be too long (e.g. the full 12") or its weight makes the cap/barrel somewhat crooked.

Nothing revolutionary but just some new fodder for the mod-idea mill.

*Sorry for the virtually non-existent write-up (I'm in a rush) but I think you guys can figure it out from the pics alone.

I cut out the trigger guard to make more room form my hand -tiny handle!




This is the barrel at full length.


This is the barrel retracted.



Again, because this is a muzzle-loaded blaster, I couldn't make the 9/16 piece very long so I only get anothr 2.5-3inches of extension. Not much, but it can't hurt. I can't do any official range testing (and my basement is in shambles) but it does seem to add a few extra feet. I'm thinking about using springs for my next nested brass/breech barrel.


to be continued (chap stick barrel) ...


[edit: I forgot to mention - I plugged the pump as usual - the general aspects of the mod was adapted from Cxwq's on the mod directory)]

There are numerous ways. If you're clever, you can make triggers that are more "conventional" in form - e.g. those you press rather than pull. Take a look at most homemades for design ideas. Some integrations have also taken advantage of existing triggers. I'm personally not a fan of the key-rings but, hey, whatever works for you.

In terms of your AT2K + BBB example, there's a front handle on the BBB that's begging for a trigger.

I just discovered that those floral tubes that come with freshly cut flowers (the plastic vials that are used to "feed" the flowers water during transport; in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, see http://www.floralsup...ain_aquapic.htm make decent barrels.

I was looking for a temporary barrel to range test my new 3B and I have a handful of these things around (I store BBs in them). The ones I have are tapered slightly towards the closed end. I simply hacked/sanded off the rounded closed end and a bit off the open end. I jammed the tube into the existing 3B barrel (cut down and air restrictors removed) until the tube got stuck - and voila.

The fit is tighter near the base (and depending on how much you cut off the closed end) but does a reasonable job for both stock darts and my stefans. I imagine a slightly tigher fit all the way through could add a bit more range (i.e. allow the compressed air to build up a split second longer) but he slightly wider front end means its a little easier to load darts.

If you happen to have these lying around, they might be an alternative to the PETG that you usually have to buy from the pet store (at least, that's where I got mine).

I've thought a little about trying to wire a laser pointer to one of my blasters. It wasn't nearly as easy as I thought as the laser pointer I have has a metal (aluminum) casing making harder to get at some of the internals. I settled on putting the laser on the side of the blaster (max shot), on the grip parallel to the barrel. I just use my steadying hand to depress the laser button with my thumb. At about 40 feet, the laser does help (especially since I don't find the max shot intuitive to aim, given its shape). Although not as cool as wiring to the trigger, the benefit is that the laser can be put on only when you want it (I'm not sure about the FF but in the NF, the light can give you away).

Of course a laser pointer isn't all that useful unless you play in the dark but you're right, it is cool. Not to mention, I have used it for intimidation purposes. For example, some of my friends had to think twice before sticking their head/arm out of a hiding place when my laser said "I see you".

why not just braid some steel wire (the kind used for hanging picture frames) around the keyring and another end around the orange disc at the end of the AT2k firing pin?

Those are generally too short for any kind of "effective" blaster.

I think JTS has a point in that it seems to be limited in its application (I think the longest tubes I've seen are 4"). And the tapered shape may make it difficult to use as a barrel stub (for nesting a longer, wider diameter barrel over it) without good support from surrounding couplers. But 3 - 4" is enough for for some of my muzzle loading blasters (e.g my NF) and for shooting stock darts (where longer barrels are not really an option).

what do you use to pull the trigger/pin? A key ring? What are the advantages over the traditional way that people have integrated the AT2k into the 3B (e.g. barrel in place of the scope).

It looks like the position of the pump handle is quite far forward - does that make it difficult to pump? And what are the ranges?

A little difficult to tell with the pics but looks well done. I assume airseal issues apply? Did you stick some o-rings on (as appropriate)? I once modified an existing turret to use on my most powerful blaster (Max Shot). It wasn't nearly as powerful as I'd have liked - mostly due to air leakage where the barrel stub and turret interfaced.

I've seen a few PVC/CPVC turrets based on a similar idea but yours looks cleaner than most. Well done.

I saw a buzz bee double shot and i thought couldnt you just glue the shells in smoothly and not have to put the shells back in each time?

I don't think you could just glue the shells in (the blaster probably won't close properly) but there are a few mods around that do something similar to avoid the use of shells:

http://nerfhq.com/ph...ight=doube shot

Some of this was also articulated in a mod write-up a few months ago:

mustang six


In one person's opinion, it performs better than the Mav. But you be the judge - I just thought I'd point out the existing info.

the "transforming Tek" has been in every WalMart in the Toronto (Ontario) area since before christmas. I haven't used it but I'm not that optimistic of its potential. I think it was briefly described in a previous post (http://nerfhaven.com...=3869&hl=mech 3)
as looking like a ghetto-version of the N-strike Unity and I'm inclined to agree.

If you buy it and find otherwise, let me know.

Okay this is how it works someone names a gun they want mods for.Then people who know mods for it just post! This should make more space for other threads as well! .You can also post a mod at any time if it's new.

Isn't this the idea behind Kirby's (already super successful) mod directory? And it seems like your suggested format would just be more work for people who already have mod write-ups. I think the onus should be on the people who WANT mods to search for it themselves. I doubt guys like Ompa and Renegade are going to have time to reply to every mod "want-ad" that pops up.

If people already have write-ups that don't appear in the directory, presumably, they can easily ask Kirby to add it. And if a write-up doesn't exist yet...... well all the more reason for that person (who wants one) to write one him/herself.

EDIT: damn GP's fast!!!

Speaking about lanard guns where can I get a max shot? Is there any place I can get one I want to get one or two before they are outa stock. I hope they still sell them. Don't tell me they don't sell them anymore... The triple shot and single shot are shit but its big brother the max shot is a beast. I need one.

I've seen a few max shots (the newer blue/silver shell - not the red/blue) still hanging around some of the Wal Marts in my area (S. Ontario)- and I hope to pick them up for myself. Sorry- I'm not trying to gloat - I just want to point out that some stragglers are still out there and might still pop up by chance (e.g. if things get stuck in a corner of the storage warehouse or get returned - God bless Wal Mart for accepting returns under almost any conditions). For example, at another Wal-Mart, I picked up a Lanard Speed Loader (okay, maybe nothing to get too excited about but I never saw it before) and at a third walmart, (actually just last week), I found a pair of AT2Ks on the clearance aisle (7$ CAD each). The boxes were old and ratty (and one was missing all the stock darts) and the copyright on the back was 2002! So yeah, you kinda have to be lucky but if you search the WalMarts in your area (every now and then), there's still a chance that you'll find something good. Worst case, there's also the chance of re-release....

A few months ago, a buddy gave me a Wookiee Bowcaster (Hasbro/Star Wars).
The thing sucked out of the box; probably < 15 feet. I first tried to do a CPVC barrel mod but even though the CPVC added about 10 feet to the range, the tiny plunger and length of hose from plunger to muzzle were clearly killing it. Since I had an AT2k hanging around (and though I know many seem to love the 2k, I personally am not a big fan), I figured that a transplant could turn the very cool-looking wookiee blaster into a usable one. The existing design also made me think that this might be a particularly good one to "breech".

here's what I started with (this pic is post-CPVC). The cosmetic "bow" is not in the pic.



Check out the internals. The brown pipe hides the airtubing. No wonder the thing has crappy range.



Just to give you an idea of the plunger size (or lack thereof)....



The first thing I did was pull the airtank from the AT2k. I got rid of the orange goo-meter and used some plumber's goop to connect the pump hose to the tank. I cut a small stub (~ 2") of 17/32 brass and used some e-tape and goop to secure it to the tank nozzle (I shaved about 3/4" off the nozzle). The forward facing end of the stub was filed down to facilitate smooth sliding of the breech/barrel (discussed further down)



Next, I cut out some space in the bowcaster's casing to make space for the airtank.



Same goes for the pump. I made space in the stock. Both were secured to the casing with goop.



to be continued... (maximums on images...)

The power or the joules is around 1.6 joules, yes I did some math.

Not to be a science geek but I just had a question regarding how you calculated the "power" of the blaster. You reported a number in Joules (a measure of work). If I recall, one equation for measuring this is:
work = force (in Newtons) x distance (in metres)

How did you calculate force (if this is the equation you used)? Cause if there's an easy way, this might be a cool metric to use when reporting ranges for my mods (I live in the city, where I don't have the required distance for outdoor range testing).


edit: it occurred to me that force = mass x acceleration. Mass can be measured with a pretty high precision electronic balance but I imagine acceleration must be even trickier to measure.

I've tried a few different materials for trigger/valve release on a couple of my integrations (e.g. the RFR + AT2k, Wookie Bowcaster + 2k).

I found that the steel wire I used was fine for the RFR mod but not for the Bowcaster mod (where I used a pulley-like system for the trigger) probably because of the extra friction/tension.
My remedy was to use zip ties instead of wire. This worked well - zip ties definitely won't stretch!

So it probably will depend on what your actual mod looks like and how much tension will be acting on your trigger mechanism. I guess some experimentation is in order. And I'd love to see your mod when its done!

That very nice, it almost looks like the gun came that way. Did you remember to plug the overpressure release valve on the at2k?

Thanks for the comments. I may take peoples' advice and relocate the pump. And I didn't plug the over-pressure valve in this one but I frequently swap it with an extra pump handle that is. That way, when I loan it to someone who might forget about over-pumping, I let them use the "safe" handle.

I cut out a rectangular piece (the breech) in a 12" pipe of a 9/16 brass. This was destined to become the barrel (extension) and a sleeve over the 17/32 stub. I had to sand down a little of the casing to accommodate the brass barrel.



Finding a way to keep the existing trigger was a bit of an issue - I'm not crazy about using a key-ring for a trigger. Plus given the location of the tank, a key-ring would be difficult to pull with the "trigger hand". I tried a few things (which resulted in a few unsightly holes in the casing) but eventually settled upon a "wheel" as a point of leverage for my trigger system. This is actually just 2 old rollerblade bearings sandwiching a rubber o-ring and held together by duct-tape and hotglue - I hope it holds. The wheel fits over an existing screw mount in the casing (which I trimmed and wrapped with a tiny bit of e-tape). I ran a piece of (picture frame-hanging) wire from the trigger to the pressure-release pin on the the tank.



I used one (ball-shaped) tip of the "bow" to make a handle for the bolt. I secured this to 2 adjustable ring/hose clamps with some spare screws. These already had holes to accommodate the screws. I put a small piece of craft foam between the clamps and the barrel to secure them to the barrel without warping the barrel from overtightening (because the screw heads are in contact with the outer diameter of the barrel).



I kept the ammo-holders on the side of the gun (had to cut out some plastic to allow it to be screwed back in its original postition. I also kept the scope (but moved it to the outside of the casing and secured it with velcro - so its removable). Yeah, like all scopes, not very useful but it looks cool (and was part of the original look).



Finished! Just had to lube up the barrel assembly.



How it works (in case you haven't already inferred...): using the bolt, the long barrel is drawn forward to open the breech. Dart goes in. Pull back the bolt to seal the barrel. A few pumps and ...fire. In the future, I may also try to add a SSPB in the casing below the barrel.


Shortcomings:
-pump handle - In retrospect, the pump handle being the stock/grip makes for a less than comfortable grip - and the grip was tiny to begin with. I considered installing it underneath the barrel (like the original 2k) but given the shape of the casing and the length of the pump hose, I stuck with the stock. Still alright for two-handed use).
- trigger - the trigger is a little hard to pull (depending on how pressurized the tank is) but I haven't thought of a better, smoother way. Yet. Given that, I might add some rubber tubing to the front edge of the trigger to make it a bit more comfortabel when pulling the trigger.
- range - I'm a little disappointed because I heard so many good things about singled at2ks. This one only gets about 50 feet (stefans). The airseals all seem fine. The barrel might be a little long (about 10 'effective' inches). I know my stefans suck - sometimes they don't leave the barrel, partly because the FBR is crooked and partly because they are not a great fit. I've tried using stefans made from broken stock darts and they seem to do much better. I'll have to tinker a bit more.


Anyway, still not my favourite in my arsenal but I'm happy that the gun is alive and I managed to overcome some technical difficulties. Only my second integration and my first breech so it was a learning experience. Any comments/advice is appreciated.

This is on the main modification page. We don't need this.

Tofu - I'm not sure but I think this is different than Cxwq's mod on the Mod page sticky but I'm I suspect that you (like me) assumed everyone knew/did this anyway. Except (like SHA said) we all cut the barrel down (leaving 5 inches of barrel on is silly - it wastes so much power).

thanks - I didn't even know The Bay carried Nerf. I live only about a 15 minute walk from there 'been under my nose the whole time.........

[quote name='six-five-two' date='Sep 25 2006, 10:03 AM' post='90457']
It is like Forsaken Angels mod but with a clip. Nice mod, I think I may get one of these but there are no bass pro shops around. How much are they?


Actually, I think there's a little more nuance to it than merely adding a clip. The clip is the easy part - its getting the breech to work simultaneously with the pump that was the point of this mod (that may not have been apparent in the pics or the crappy video). If this is unclear, let me know and I'll try to get some better video.

And I apologize for not including some links in the writeup - I originally intended to "edit" and add links for a bunch of previous mods I referenced:
- my old write up of the Ertl FS-1010 internals
- the original Bacon Bow mod that inspired this
- Forsaken Angel's plunger modifications
- the assemby of my own peculiar clip (originally designed for my version of the Bacon Bow)

however, I had difficulties in getting the edits accepted (the write up was in two separate messages at first but the editor function seemed to consolidate the two, putting the 'edited' version over the image limit). Long story short, sorry for this double-post but it has neccesary reference information.


EDIT:

six-five-two: the darts in the videos/pics are my own custom ammo made from Buzz Bee stock darts. They're cut down to 1.5" and tipped with a small "puck" of (pre-cut, cold) hotglue and a craft bead, sealed with (melted) hotglue. They're experimental ammo right now (I call 'em 'Cyclops' darts - b/c to me, the tip looks like a single eye). Better darts than my other stefans (but I AM terrible at making regular stefans).

General Cole: the 'travel' on the breech (assuming I understand correctly) is a little under 3" (7.2 cm).

[/quote]

Ambush bug you son of a bitch.
I was talking about doing something like this a while back but got distracted with other guns, life, women, work.
I like your mod functionally but I think it is a little hideous.
Now I am inspired to make yet another pumpshotgun mod with clip. Damn you for making me do this.
When I am done with my 3 current projects I will start on it. The LS will have to wait.
[/quote]


Yeah, it could be more fancy (i.e. the thing was made from alot of scrap material in about three hours - but is structurally sound considering I work without a dremel or epoxy) but I had to get the little bugger done ASAP. Not for use or anything, I'm just obsessive compulsive when I'm curious to try something out. So, for the sake of concentrating on writing up my goddamn thesis, salvaging my career (and maybe my marriage) I'm okay with the gun looking like ass....

Glad to be spreading the disease of distraction..... and as always, I look forward to seeing what unholy device you can conjure up.

A while back, I posted some internal pics of this

off-brand ball gun (aka the ERTL FS-1010 Pump Shotgun) I bought at a local Bass Pro shop. Given the internals, I was pretty optimistic of its potential. I brassed it and was pretty happy with its performance singled
.

Its got great range (think Max Shot) and its airseal is so tight that darts can be muzzle loaded in the 8" brass barrel (9/16") and get sucked the rear of the barrel when cocked. This makes for a good RoF with no breeching necessary.

(NOTE* for any mod using a 9/16" barrel, be sure to jam some PETG or brass of smaller inner diameter in the back of the barrel to prevent darts from getting sucked right into the plunger.)


But I had been thinking of ways to turn this thing into an even more formidable weapon in terms of ammo load and RoF. I was trying to think of a way to clip-mod this in a way similar to my version of Piss Bacon's BBB mod (aka the Bacon Bow). Of course the problem was that the shotgun, like most Nerf blasters, lacked the BBB's unique cocking mechanism that allows the barrel/breech system to fire darts at a position closest to the plunger. I ended up buying another ERTL shotgun recently and went to work.

Well, my solution was to split the handle of the existing shotgun pump into two sections (front and rear). The front handle still functions to cock the plunger but the rear can now move independently to work a breech, sliding the brass (9/16") barrel backwards over the dart. Not sure what to call this type of mechanism - kinda like pump and bolt action at the same time.

I'll do my best to explain what I did but I'm afraid I didn't have a camera available during some of the crucial early steps. Hopefully though, the pics will give you an idea and you can fill in the blanks. I don't talk about replacing the existing barrel and installing the new barrel/breech as Forsaken Angel already provided a good write up for the the former and the latter was performed by a procedure that I used when making my Bacon Bow.

The "arm" used to link the rear handle to the barrel/breech consisted of some spare black plastic tubing (just lying around) and a broken aluminum tent stake
.
The blunt end of the stake was jammed very tightly into some PETG do facilitate gluing to the inside of the rear handle. The pointy tip of the tent stake was eventually jammed into the hollow black plastic tube and secured with some e-tape and a tightened hose clamp.

The handles were hacked from the original pump - here are the handles after the cutting was already done
.
Note the position of the tent stake.

To accomodate the backwards sliding (closed breech) arm (with hose clamp), I had to hack/sand out some space in the bottom of the front handle
.


To install the stake, I screwed the rear handle back together and once I got everything in position, I used some krazy glue to attach it and a pile of hotglue around it to support the stake. But be careful not to add too much glue - there still need to be space to accommodate a screw when the rear handle is slid forward (open breech)
. The black plastic arm extension connected to the 9/16"barrel via a series of hose clamps and a CT clamp
.

The new breech (19/32" brass) was mounted to the plunger with some e-tape and a piece of PVC coupler (gray thing).



more in a sec (image limits).....

I was afraid the connection was weak so I took some old (green) plastic tubing and cut out a ring to add support to the junction between the PVC coupler and the (brown) plunger tube


Then I wrapped the ring in black e-tape


To allow it to accommodate my clips, I added a clip guide cut from some scrap transparent orange PETG


I glued it to the the PVC coupler opposite from the breech opening


I also secured this connection with a (white) ziptie


My clip slides into position and is held by the guide. Since the clip is spring fed, I keep it in a semi-sideways position


But since the breech can still be rotated, the clip can also be mounted vertically (above) - so, in theory, it can also accommodate gravity-fed clips


I'm very happy with the result. I just need to make more clips or ones of greater capacity. I am currently working on a 25-round drum-magazine. I'll write it up if it works. If it does, I might not want to buy that Longshot anymore.

Sorry - no official ranges (I live in a tiny apartment in the downtown core). And I didn't bother to do anything with the plunger/internals (Forsaken Angel posted a clever way of maximizing the air delivery) as when I war (seldom), it is usually indoors where anything beyond 60 feet is a bit of overkill - but this thing is STILL a welt-bringer!


In case you don't get how it works here's some (crappy) video of:
the pump/breech mechanism
installing the clip and firing (that carboard target/trap is point blank)
single breech-loading (e.g. if I'm out of clips)


I hope you found this stimulating! Comments?

as requested by flamebo388 (in an earlier thread), here are some pics of the internals of the clip-fed Buzz Bee blaster:

it uses ammo pre-loaded into these orange shells (same as Buzz Bee Double Shot). Stock clips hold six. But you can also load an extra round in "the pipe" (chamber) before inserting the clip.


here is the stock version (well, I sawed the barrel off this one). It went for 12 bucks CAD$ at Wal-Mart


for a basic view of the internals, you don't need to unscrew the barrel or bolt screws (on the yellow parts - on the current version of the blaster)


note that the plunger isn't very big. Nor is the airhose that runs from plunger tube to the chamber. The spring currently mounted (the silver one) is actually one I put in to try and increase the velocity. The original (the black one) is below the spring/plunger. Although the new spring is stronger, it hasn't made much of a difference in range. It only made the thing way louder. More importantly, it does not compress to the same extent as the original and thus, prevents the bolt from sliding back far enough to let the clip feed shells properly into the breech/chamber.


there are a few things going on in here. The blue lever cocks the spring while sliding the bolt back (to let the shell/cartridge move up into the breech).


When the lever is returned to the closed position, the bolt pushes the shell into the chamber and seals it (the black o rings). Also notice that between the O rings, there is a hole in the bolt. That hole allows airflow into the chamber when the trigger is pulled/the spring/plunger is released.


the orange thing on the right is part of the trigger. The orange thing on the left is part of the mechanism for ejecting spent shells (triggered when the white rod holding the spring is cocked back)


this is my blaster (without significant modification - only spraypaint). There are several velcro tabs on the blaster for attachments I've devised to catch spent shells. The velcro on the clips lets me stick two of them together (one upside down) for faster clip-changes.


This one only gets about 35-40 feet with stock micros but I'm trying to devise something (i.e. integrating a Lanard MaxShot plunger/spring and correspondingly larger gauge airhose) to increase its range. I wonder if even a nite-finder spring would do some good.

Also beware, if you don't use a smooth (though not necessarily slow) motion when cranking the lever, the ammo may jam. But after some practice, this blaster is pretty good for short/mid ranges (indoors).
I suppose length of a war is also an issue because unless you buy enough blasters (for extra clips), reloading shells and magazines is not as easy as groping for a dart and jamming it in a muzzle-loading blaster. I've tried to remedy this by buying a bunch of shell/dart refill packs and keeping them in an ammo bandolier (after Boltsniper). When the magazines are spent, shells can be directly loaded into the breech (without removing the magazine).
I figure it makes a decent (albeit, large) secondary. Not as compact as a Mav or Firefly but easier to reload (until you run out of clips). Again, you can decide for yourself.
I think I'm also gonna try to couple it with a modded maxshot. The rifle-style handle combined with the pistol-grip of the max shot should work well together. Not to mention, it gives the MS a stock.

Anyway, if I acquire any more "uncommon" blasters, I'll try to post more pics. Hopefully, others will do the same.

Wait, did I miss something? How did you get that gun? I haven't seen anything about the rff (rapid fire rifle) being out posted.

the RFRs are pretty common at WalMarts in my area (Toronto) and have been out for a while (I think I got mine in early August).

I believe the Bow n Arrow is among the first of Nerf weapons - you've never seen it? There are numerous reviews/images out on the www.

Here are a few to get you started:

http://www.geocities...784/primary.htm

http://www.nerfcente...f/BownArrow.htm

Lanard also makes a bow (the Blast Bow):

http://www.flyingtoy...uk/lanardx.html

Since you're a LOTR fan, I imagine you're also aware of the Uruk-Hai crossbow? It would be cool if you could do some cosmetic work on the BnA to make it look like Legolas'

EDIT: hey, I just realized that there is a pic and review of the bow n arrow on nerfworld (under "Reviews")

good luck.

It would be nice to take the time to actually type out what gun you're talking about. If you're going to ask a question, at least be precise.

Otherwise:

I didn't know the Nintendo DS had air restrictors.

I agree, one should type out (explicitly) the blaster in question somewhere in the text or header. I thought he was referring to the Disk Shot.

I think it looks bad-ass. But if its only got four crappy shots, that doesn't mean s**t. You say "loud chamber" - I assume, its a springer? I'd like to see what the insides look like. Got any pics? And you never told us what its stock range is.